London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

City traders who volunteer as reading mentors have introduced pupils to the world of finance.

Staff at Global Reach Partners took children on to their trading floor and then the Bank of England to give them a taste of City life.

Eight traders at the foreign exchange broker in Moorgate volunteer every week at St Jude and St Paul’s primary school in Dalston as part of the Get London Reading campaign. They turn up in their Savile Row suits to read with the children but decided to invite them into their offices after being bombarded with questions about what it was like to work as a trader.

Emma Waldron, a PA at the firm, said: “It was an absolutely amazing day. They were asking if they could get jobs there and get training with us. They were so engaged with it and our staff got a lot out of it as well. They had never seen anything like it before.”

Miss Waldron said the company had jumped at the chance to get involved with the campaign. She added: “We wanted to support the local community and give something back first hand.

“It is easy for companies to wave a bit of money and not see where it goes. With this scheme we read with the children and see exactly how much they improve.”

The would-be whizkids were also taken to the Bank of England museum where they were able to touch a gold bar worth almost half a million pounds before exploring the trading floor.